Open-end wrench convertible to box-type wrench



Feb. 17, 1953 F. E. KRAFT 2,623,522

OPEN-END WRENCH CONVERTIBLE TO BOX-TYPE WRENCH Filed Jan. 26, 1950 12 20 22 Fred. E. Kraft IN V EN TOR.

Patented Feb. 17, 1953 OPEN-END WRENCH CONVERTEBLE TO BOX-TYPE WRENCH Fred E. Kraft, Chicago, Ill. Application January 26, 1950, Serial No. 140,577

1 Claim. 1

This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in wrenches and more particularly pertains to wrenches having pivotally mounted wrench heads.

An important object of this invention is to provide a Wrench having a pivotally mounted head, which head may be designed for light work but which can be pivoted into a reinforced position for heavier work.

An additional object of this invention, in accordance with the foregoing object, is to provide a wrench having a pivotally mounted open-end wrench head which may be converted from an open-ended wrench head into a socket wrench.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a wrench having a pivotally mounted, openended wrench head which may be converted from an open-ended wrench into a box-type socket wrench having a smaller work-receiving opening than said open-end, even though both the openend and socket wrenches can take only a single size hexagonal nut.

An important feature of this invention resides in the provision for a projection which extends from the handle of the wrench and which is receivable in a slot in the pivotally mounted wrench head, when the latter is pivoted to lie between the wrench head supporting means, the projection on the handle reinforcing the wrench head,

the projection partially closing the slot in the wrench head and forming a box-type socket wrench.

Another important feature of this invention resides in the provision for a wrench having wrench head supporting arms, with a wrench head the sides of which are complementary to the inner surfaces of the supporting arms, whereby the wrench head is reinforced when it is pivoted so as to lie between the supporting arms.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective elevational view of the wrench, one end of the wrench having the wrench head pivoted outwardly to form an openended wrench, the other end having the wrench head pivoted to lie between the wrench head supporting arms, thereby providing a socket Wrench.

Figure 2 is a top view of the device showing the wrench head pivoted to lie between the wrench head supporting arms.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View of the device taken substantially on the plane 3--3, part of the device being shown in elevation.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, it can be seen from a consideration of Figures 1 and 2 that the wrench indicated generally by the numeral 10 is provided at one or both ends, as desired, with a pair of lateral arms 12 and i4 having confronting vertical surfaces 16 and I3. Terminally pivoted to the arms [2 and 14, in any desired manner, such as by the nut and bolts '20, is a wrench head 22.

Provided in the wrench head 22 is a vertical slot 24 which preferabl has parallel and laterally spaced sides 26 and 23, the inner end of the slot being of any polygonal shape which may be found desirable, such as the symmetrical converging end walls 30 and 32, depending upon the type of nuts upon which the wrench head 22 is to be used.

A projection 34 is provided on the handle 36 of the wrench [0 which projection extends be tween the lateral arms l2 and I4 and is receivable in the slot 24, between the walls 26 and 28. As will be readily appreciated from a consideration of Figure 2, the projection 34 not only provides a reinforcement for the wrench head 22, which wrench head may, for various purposes such as tappet adjusting, be very thin, but the wrench head 34 also converts the wrench l0 into a box-type socket wrench when the wrench head 22 is pivoted to lie between the lateral arms [2 and Hi. It is believed to be further evident that the projection 34 may be of such dimensions that the aperture formed between the wrench head 22 and the projection 34 will receive the same size nut as that which is receivable between the sides 26 and 28 of the wrench head when the latter is pivoted to its open-end position.

For purposes of further reinforcing the wrench head 22 which, as stated previously, may, for certain purposes, be constructed of thin material, the sides of the wrench head 38 may be constructed so as to be complementary to the inner surfaces IE5 and [8 of the arms l2 and 14.

In order to facilitate reaching nuts which are disposed in obstructed places, the wrench head 22 is preferably pivoted at an angle which deviates from the perpendicular to the wrench handle 36, the amount of the deviation being discretionary.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the manner of operating the invention and the advantages arising therefrom will be readily understood and, accordingly, further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a study of the foregoing specification and attached drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but to all suitable modifications and equivalents whichlmay be resortedto, and which fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the claimed as new is:

A wrench comprising a handle, a pair of laterally spaced arms on one end of said handle,

invention, what is inner sides of said arms providing confronting surfaces, an open-end wrench head terminally pivoted to said arms, outer sides of said head being complementary to the confronting surfaces of said arms, and a projection on said handle FRED E. KRAFT.

REFERENCES. CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 890,422 White 1- Oct. 2, 1888 896,458. Morgan Aug. 18, 1908 1,006,679 Rice Oct. 24, 1911 1,284,781 Lynds Nov. 12, 1918 1,343,882 Woodward June 15, 1920 1,424,676 Parsons Aug. 1, 1922 

